Why is my puppy lazy?

If your puppy seems to be lazy you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why your puppy might be being lazy and what you can do about it.

So, why is my puppy lazy? Possible reasons why your puppy is lazy are that it is bored, not getting the right diet, depressed, naturally calm, ill, it might be too hot for it and it might not be getting enough exercise.

There are a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out why your puppy is lazy. Depending on the cause, there are also a number of things that you can do about it.

Why your puppy is so lazy

Each of the different reasons why your puppy is lazy will likely come with a number of clues in the way that it does it.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why it is so lazy and what would make them more likely.

It’s bored

The reason that your puppy is lazy could be that it is bored.

This would be more likely if it doesn’t get the chance to be active very often and if it suddenly becomes very energetic when it is about to do something exciting such as when it’s about to play or go for a walk.

Related: Why does my dog sit on my lap?

It’s not getting the right diet

It might be the case that it feels fatigued because there is a problem with its diet. This would be more likely if it suddenly became bored when you changed its diet or if it becomes lazier shortly after being fed. You can look here to see what you should and shouldn’t be feeding your puppy.

Related: Why is my dog so dumb?

It has depression

Dogs can get depression like humans do and the reason that it has been being lazy could be that it is depressed. This would be more likely if it suddenly started doing it shortly after something happened that might have caused it to be depressed. Examples could be, having friends move away, another pet dying or an owner leaving.

In this case, it is likely that it will improve over the course of weeks. You can help by giving it attention in the form of play, training and exercise. If it persists over the course of months then you should consider getting professional help from a dog behaviorist.

It is naturally calm

It might be the case that your puppy is naturally calm. This would be more likely if it has always been that way and it does not seem to be the case that there are any other causes. If it is naturally calm, then be thankful that it is calm as opposed to dominating or destructive.

Illness

It might be the case that an illness is causing it to be more tired. This would be more likely if it started being calmer suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill.

In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet and to get professional help.

Hot weather

If the weather has suddenly become a lot hotter then it could be the case that it is calm due to being too hot. This would be more likely if it started being calm when the weather became hotter.

In this case, it would help to make sure that it has access to lots of shade, cool areas and water.

Not enough exercise

Most dog breeds are supposed to get a lot of exercise and when they don’t get enough exercise it can cause them to develop behavioral issues. Generally, it is recommended that a dog get at least an hour of exercise per day but this will depend on its breed.

However, it is also recommended to limit the amount of exercise for puppies to 5 minutes per day for every month of age. So, a 4 month-old puppy would get 20 minutes of exercise daily. This is because the exercise could damage their rapidly growing joints.

However, this is a debated topic so it would help to consult with your vet on how much exercise your puppy is ready for. Other ways to stimulate it would be to train it or to give it toys to play with.

Things to consider

Below, I will mention some particularly helpful things to consider when trying to figure out why your puppy is lazy. Once you have a better idea of the cause it will be easier to take the appropriate action.

If your puppy has always been lazy

It would help to consider whether or not it has always been lazy.

If it has always been lazy then it would be more likely that it is that way naturally but it could still be due to things such as boredom or not getting the right diet.

Whereas, if it became lazy suddenly it would be more likely to be due to things such as a change in its diet, depression, illness or heat. It would help to consider what else happened at around the same time that it started being lazy.

When your puppy becomes less lazy

The timing of when it becomes lazy would also be helpful to consider.

If it becomes lazy at certain times then it would help to consider what else happens at around that time. It could be that you feed it, the weather is hotter or that it’s just got exercise.

How to get your puppy to be less lazy

There are a number of things that you can do about your dog being lazy. The best option for your dog will largely depend on the cause of it doing it.

Below, I will mention a number of things that you can do about it.

Make sure its diet is right

Since a problem with its diet could be the cause it would help to make sure that it is being fed correctly. You can look here to see what you should and should not be feeding it.

Take it to a vet

Since illness might be the cause it would also help to take it to a vet. This would be especially important if it became lazy suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill.

Keep it cool

If the weather is hot right now then it would help to make sure that your puppy is able to stay cool and out of the sun. It would help to give it access to shaded areas, a cool room and water. It would also help to avoid walking it at midday when the sun is right overhead.

Give it toys to play with

You can also give it lots of toys to play with. You can give it things such as the balls with treats in or puzzle games designed for dogs.

Give it exercise

As mentioned above, it is important to make sure that your puppy is getting the right amount of exercise for its breed and age. If it is not currently getting much exercise it would help to make sure that it does by walking it or playing fetch with it.